Thank you for your attention and support for our work!

        Next, we will guide you to visit the “Motion Structure Laboratory” scenic spot, which is part of the 2023-2024 series of themed attractions. Please bring along luggage filled with ideals, youth, responsibility, exploration, and innovation, and leave behind negative emotions such as worries, confusion, and laxity. Organize your thoughts, uplift your mood, and embrace the beauty of scenery!

Paper Thicket

        The “paper thicket” is the main attraction at the “Motion Structure Laboratory” scenic spot in the 2023-2024 series of themed attractions. A total of 17 papers were displayed, including 14 SCI papers. Although the road through the thicket is rough and bumpy, filled with obstacles, it is commendable that team members utilize their wisdom and fighting spirit to create lasting and cherished memories for us.

【论文】Nature Communications

The team of Professor Yan Chen from the school of mechanical engineering of Tianjin University, in cooperation with the team of Professor Rui Zhu of the school of aerospace engineering of Beijing Institute of Technology, proposed a transformable mechanical metamaterial based on modular origami, realizing all seven different zero modes and the reversible transformation among configurations. Tunable wave manipulations are further investigated in 1D-, 2D and 3D-systems.

【论文】Advanced Science

The team of Prof. Yan Chen and Prof. Jiayao Ma of Tianjin University proposed a series of extensible origami structures with multi-stability. Through kinematic analysis, the critical role of the delayed folding mechanics of the origami structure from the inside layer to outside was revealed, and the programmable multi-stable characteristics of the structure based on material and geometric parameters were explored through mechanical analysis.

【论文】Materials & Design

In 2023, our team published two papers related to metamaterials in the journal Materials & Design. The team of Prof. Yan Chen from the school of mechanical engineering of Tianjin University, in collaboration with the team of Prof. Zhong You of the University of Oxford, designed a three-dimensional metamaterial with constant -1 Poisson’s ratios and a clearly defined deformation path based on the kinematics of classical Sarrus linkage and realized the programming of metamaterial with constant negative Poisson’s ratio by varying the geometrical parameters of the mechanism. In cooperation with the team of Prof. Rui Zhu of the school of aerospace engineering of Beijing Institute of Technology, propose a novel 3D penta-mode metamaterial design whose geometry is based on truncated octahedron. The configurations of regular truncated octahedron and transformed truncated octahedron exhibit isotropic and anisotropic penta-mode property, respectively. The proposed novel design offers a wider 3D transformable penta-mode metamaterial flatform to achieve the tunable control of acoustic wave in fluids.

【论文】Mechanism and Machine Theory

In 2023, our team published four papers in the journal Mechanism and Machine Theory. Among them, Yuanqing Gu published three papers. He designed a series of deployable origami polyhedrons with single-degree-of-freedom radial motion, realized nine types of polyhedron transformations, and proposed an overconstraint reduction strategy based on the Hamiltonian path. Yuehao Zhang published a paper on the design of a thick-panel origami-based parabolic cylindrical antenna. The high deployed/folded ratio and the smooth reflecting surface hold significant engineering application value.

【论文】Thin-Walled Structures

Mengyue Li published an article in the journal Thin-Walled Structures. He proposed a metallic cylinder based on the Kresling origami pattern. The deformation process, plastic strain and deployment ratio under different parameters are investigated through numerical simulations and experiments.

Other great Papers

Conference Square

        The 2023 China Space Conference was held in Hefei from April 23 to 26, 2023, with the participation of team members Xiao Zhang, Yuanqing Gu, and Yuehao Zhang.

        The 2nd China Meta Materials Conference was held in Nanjing from May 11 to 14, 2023, with the participation of team members.

        The Seminar on Acoustics and Fluctuating Metamaterials was held at Motion Structure Laboratory, Tianjin University on June 20, 2023.

        The Seminar on Multi-stable Metamaterials was held at Motion Structure Laboratory, Tianjin University on June 26, 2023.

        The 2023 International Symposium on Structures and Materials Inspired by Origami (SAMIO 2023) was successfully held in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China, from October 13 to 15, 2023. The conference was sponsored by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, organized by the International Institute for Innovative Design and Intelligent Manufacturing of Tianjin University, and co-organized by Tianjin University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Wuhan University. As the chairman of the conference, Prof. Yan Chen led the team in organizing and attending the meeting.

        The 13th National Women’s Congress was held in Beijing from October 23 to 26, 2023. Prof. Yan Chen attended the congress as a delegate.

        The 1st National Space Mechanism Academic Conference was successfully held in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province from November 3 to 5, 2023. Prof. Chen Yan was invited to present at the conference. The team members attended the meeting.

Other great memories

Liu Weiqi attended the 1st National Conference on Smart Materials and Structural Systems.

Team members make oral presentations and academic exchanges at conferences.

Gallery of honor

Yuanqing Gu’s doctoral dissertation was awarded “3A” by the Ministry of Education.

Zhibo Wei won the “Metamaterial Graduate Academic Newcomer Award” at the 2nd National Metamaterial Conference Graduate Student Forum.

Sibo Chai won the “Top Ten Metamaterial Science and Technology Pre-Coastal Newspaper Award” and the “Excellent Poster Award” of SAMIO 2023 at the Science and Technology Poster Exhibition of the second National Metamaterial Conference.

Mengyue Li won the “Excellent Presentation Award” of SAMIO 2023.

Chuhan Xu won the “Outstanding Graduate of Tianjin University” and “Excellent Paper in 2023 of the School of Mechanical Engineering”.

Can Lu won the Shortlist Silver Award of London International Creative Competition, the first prize of the 9th China International College Students’ “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the third prize of Asian Youth Rookie Award, the Merit Student of Tianjin University, and the Advanced Individual of Science and Technology Innovation of Tianjin University.

Happy Valley of Team Building

A photo of team building activity, 2023.

Graduates
In 2023, some members have successfully graduated after overcoming mountains and rivers. Congratulations to them!

New members
In 2023, many new members join us, welcome them!

Chunlong Wang, Postdoctoral fellow

Dechen Zhao, PhD student

Yuening Du, Master student

Lirun Zhang, Master student

Chuhan Xu, Master student

Scientific research is endless; struggle is an essential part of the process.
Say goodbye to the wonderful and fulfilling year of 2023, and welcome 2024. Let us continue to move forward and create another amazing chapter!